Canals and rivers running short of water!

Low water levels in many reservoirs, canals and rivers are now causing major restrictions on Summer cruising routes for boat owners and holiday boaters. The driest spring since 1893 and the continued dry weather followed a winter when reservoir storage capacity was limited by engineering problems. So there’s now an urgent need to eke out water supplies over the next few months to ensure that waterways don’t become stagnant or literally run dry, with serious consequences for ecology and wildlife as well as the boating population.

Reduced water levels are making boating difficult along many canals and rivers. Currently there are restrictions on over 20 waterways, some of which involve complete closure of locks preventing passage along many sections, for instance on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Boats moored in these areas may be unable to travel at all, or limited to a short distance of canal between locks. In other cases limited lock opening times (Restricted passage) are imposed to limit lock usage. The CRT website has details of Restricted passage locks opening days and times.

Full up to date details of closures and lock passage restrictions are in the Notices and Stoppages section of the Canal and River Trust website https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices but if you are planning a holiday we’ve created a summary of how individual canals and rivers are currently affected by low water levels. Waterways not listed here may also be suffering from low water levels.

CRT are advising boaters to;
– Ensure that contact details on your web licensing account are correct
– Sign up to receive notifications for the canal you are on
– Empty waste tanks
– Fill up water and fuel tanks
– Stock up on essential supplies
– Consider relocating your boat to areas closer to services
– If you have a home mooring, return your boat to your marina/mooring.

LAST UPDATED 13th September. See our Updated Canals Reopening Report.

These restrictions are due to LOW WATER LEVELS, not Engineering or other stoppages.

In the North of England the Pocklington Canal is closed. The Ripon Canal Rhodesfield to Oxclose Lock is closed. On the River Ouse (Yorkshire) downstream of Linton lock there are Low Water Levels.

The Pennine waterways are badly affected with no cruisable routes over the hills, partly because engineering issues prevented reservoirs from being filled over the winter. On the Leeds & Liverpool Canal all Lock Flights from Wigan Lock 85 to Leeds Lock 2 are closed, Lock 1 closed when water  levels are low. On the Rochdale Canal Locks 1 Sowerby Bridge to 33 Walsden and Locks 48 to 92 are closed. The Huddersfield Broad Canal and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal are both closed. The Lancaster Canal Glasson Branch has now reopened.

On the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation Doncaster Lock to Long Sandall Lock has Low water levels. On the Chesterfield Canal Kilton Lock (Worksop Manton Lock) & Bracebridge Lock require Assisted Passage. On the River Trent Stoke Lock 4, Hazelford Lock 12 and Cromwell Lock 15 are subject to Low water levels.

North West canals are also badly affected by low reservoir levels. The Trent & Mersey Canal Locks 41 to 75 (the Cheshire locks) are closed. Lock 19 Shade House Lock to Lock 13 Bagnall Lock and Aston Lock 26 Restricted passage. Harecastle Tunnel is Restricted passage. The Caldon Canal is closed from Lock 1 to Froghall Basin. The Ashton Canal is closed. The Macclesfield Canal Bosley Lock Flight is closed. More of the canal may need to be closed to navigation soon due to Low water levels. The Peak Forest Canal Marple Lock Flight is closed.
Stop planks are in place on the Macclesfield Canal between Bridge 44 and Bosley Top Lock and on the Peak Forest Canal between Bridge 28 (New Mills area) and Bridge 38 (Whaley Bridge). CRT says this is to create more sustainable mooring areas where there is greater ability to maintain water levels and vital services. It cautions that water levels outside these areas will be ‘prone to severe fluctuations’ and that ‘customers moored outside of these areas should regularly check and slacken their mooring lines’.

In the Midlands the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal Brades, Spon Lane, Smethwick, and Aston lock flights are closed. On the Coventry Canal  Glascote Lock 13 to Fradley Swing Bridge Closed. Glascote Bottom Lock, Atherstone Lock Closed.  On the BCN the Old Main Line Wolverhampton Lock Flight and Smethwick Locks and the Rushall Canal Lock Flight will be reopened from September 15th. The Walsall Canal Ryders Green Lock Flight has Restricted passage. On the Worcester & Birmingham Canal the Tardebigge Lock Flight now open.

Due to low water levels on the River Severn Gloucester Lock is Closed moving to Restricted passage on September 20th.

On the Southern waterways on the Grand Union Canal mainline the Ten Mile Pound between Bordesley Junction and Knowle Locks is closed. Radford Bottom Lock 23 to Calcutt Lock 1, Braunston Locks 1 to 6, Buckby Locks 7 to 13,  Stoke Bruerne Locks 14 to 20 and Lock 56 Berkhamstead all closed. On the Grand Union Leicester Line all locks from Watford Lock 1 to Freemmans Meadow Lock 41  are closed. Hatton Locks are now without restrictions. The River Soar is closed from St Mary’s Mill Lock 40 to King’s Lock 38 on the Grand Union Leicester Line.  The Northampton Arm is closed to passage until conditions improve. On the Aylesbury Arm Lock 1 to Aylesbury Arm Basin is closed.

The Oxford Canal has lock closures from Claydon Top Lock 17 to Aynho Weir Lock 33. Hawkesbury Stop Lock, Hillmorton Locks 1 to 3, Napton Lock 8, Marston Doles Lock 15, all locks closed. Braunston Junction has Low Water Levels. The South Stratford Canal has now reopened.

On the Lee Navigation Rammey Marsh Lock to Tottenham Lock has Low water levels. River Stort Lock 14 Brick Lock to Lock 15 Lower Lock, Low water levels.

This information is mainly summarised from the Notices and Stoppages section of the Canal and River Trust website at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices.